Nexeye has appointed Theo Willemse as Chief Retail Officer (CRO) as of 1 June 2026. In this role, Willemse will oversee nexeye’s entire retail organization across all brands and European markets. This appointment marks an important step in nexeye’s strategy to accelerate international expansion and further professionalize its retail operations. The company is currently opening an average of two new eyes + more stores per week and is pursuing strong growth in key markets including Germany, Austria and Sweden. Nexeye aims to expand its retail network to 1,000 stores across Europe by 2028.
Strengthening nexeye’s retail organization across Europe
As Chief Retail Officer, Willemse will lead an integrated Group Retail organization, bringing together Sales, Retail Operations, Workforce Management and Retail Project Management. By consolidating these core disciplines, nexeye strengthens operational efficiency, shortens decision-making processes and accelerates the rollout of proven retail concepts across markets and formats.
“nexeye has now reached a scale where strong operational leadership and a close link between strategy and execution are increasingly important,” says Bart van den Nieuwenhof, CEO of nexeye. “Theo brings a powerful combination of commercial drive, operational expertise and people-focused leadership. He is the right person to take our retail organization into the next phase of growth.”
Extensive retail leadership experience in large-scale organizations
Willemse brings a strong track record in retail, operations and the management of large, multi-site organizations. He previously served as Commercial Operations Director at Optisport, where he was responsible for the commercial and operational performance of an extensive network of locations.
Prior to that, he held the role of Executive Director Sales & Operations at Jumbo Supermarkten, where he led the sales and operations organization of more than 700 stores and over 100,000 employees. Throughout his career, Willemse has successfully delivered large-scale transformation and growth programs within fast-paced retail environments.
Focus on execution excellence and customer experience
Theo Willemse: “nexeye is in an exciting phase of rapid international growth. By further connecting retail teams and disciplines, we can respond faster to market opportunities, strengthen our store network and continuously enhance the customer experience. I look forward to working with all teams across the organization to build the next phase of growth in Europe.”
